Drier



April 20, 1937. Q Q CHAPMAN 2,077,615

DRIER Fi led June 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l VII II/I/II/III/IIIII/ INVENTOR Geo. C. Clad 91720610 April 20, 1937. I v ca. c. CHAPMAN I v r 2,077,615

DRIER Filed June 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Geo. C. Chaplnan BY Q 'ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIER George C.- Chapman, Modesto, Calif.

Application June 19, 1936, Serial No. 86,102

12 Claims.

This invention relates to driers and is partic- I ularly related to driers for a grain such as rice.

Rice is grown and harvested under moist conditions and is dimcult to handle for storage and milling purposes until thoroughly dry. Its moisture content when harvested is great and in order to .dry it economically in commercial quantities there must be provided a drying means capable of providing in a simple and economic way a large drying surface or area over which the rice through the air stream and for also agitating the grain as it thus moves.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondin parts in the several views: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Figure 2' is an enlarged fragmentary section of the lower portion of the machine.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view of a screen shaker and adjusting arm unit.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the same. Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the apparatus comprises a vertical relatively tall casing of rectangular cross section open only at the top, and forming an enclosure in which the grain receiving screens are mounted.

of the casing and disposed in vertically spaced relation are symmetrically arranged pairs of screens 2.

The screens ofeach pair are close to each other along adjacent edges, and are disposed with a downward diverging slope to their opposite edges, which clear the sides of the casing a certain distance. Said screens are pivoted in common on a rod 3 or the like supported at its 55 ends on the central vertical frame members 4 Extending substantially from front to back of the casing. A feed chute 5 is mounted todeliver evenly onto the topmost pair of screens.

Mounted in the casing between the pairs of screens 2 are other pairs of screens 6, disposed in the reverse relation to the screens 2. In other words, the screens 6 of each pair are pivoted at their upper opposite edges on the. corner frames 8 of the casing as at 9, and converge with a downward slope to their adjacent edges. With this arrangement, the screens 2 discharge onto the 1 screens 6 adjacent the upper pivoted edges of the latter, and the screens 6 in turn discharge onto the screen 2 adjacent the upper pivoted edges thereof.

The lowermost screens 2 discharge into a bin 15 IU of screen or other perforated material which extends at its top over the entire cross sectional area of the casing, and then converges to a central outlet spout II at the bottom, which issome distance above the bottom of the casing. The 20 spout is normally closed by a gate l2 operable from exteriorly of the casing, and discharges into a gate-controlled chute l3 leading to the exterior of the casing.

Vertical baflles l4 project upwardly from the screens 2 at their topmost edges, and serve to positively deflect the grains rolling down the screens 6 onto the corresponding screens 2 below. Also these baffles tend to break up or separate the grains striking the baflies, and which grains may be stuck together in lump form due to their dampness.

A blower I5 is mounted exteriorally of the casing, its outlet I6 discharging the air at a natural or artificial heat, into the casing below the bin I0. Since the air can only then escape from'the top of the casing, and to reach said top must pass through the bin and through the series of screens above the same, it will be seen that the grain or other produce in the bin, as well as that on the screens or falling from one to the other, is subject to the constant drying influence of the upwardly moving blast of air.

It will be noted that the screens overlap each other for substantially their entire area, thus 45 providing for a maximum drying area in a drier of a given size, since the greatest drying action of course takes place while the grain is on the screens.

Inasmuch as the drying action, with a given air temperature, depends on the speed of travel of the grain or other produce from top to bottom of the casing, and which speed is determined by the slope of the screens, it is desirable to be able to alter such slope to suit the drying requirements of the produce. It is also desirable that the screens be agitated irrespective of their slope, in order to agitate the produce thereon to better separate the same and expose the maximum areas of their surface to the drying action.

This adjustment and agitation is accomplished as follows:

All the screens, on both sides, are connected intermediate their ends by substantially vertical links ll. Other links [8 are connected to and depend from the bottom pair of screens 2, the links [8 on each side depending between the adjacent side of the casing and. bin and converging to a common pivot pin I9.

A block 29 is mounted on this pin, the block sliding between vertical guides 2| secured to the casing wall.

An arm 22 is connected to the pin 20, and carries a strap 23 on its lower end which engages an eccentric 24. The eccentric is fixed on a stub shaft 25 journaled in the outer end of a substantially horizontal arm 26, which at its opposite end is turnable on a horizontal driven shaft 2! disposed in the casing under the bin and parallel to the pivots of the screens.

Since there are two sets of the links I8--one on each side of the screens-there are two arms 26 and adjacent parts as above described, both arms however being mounted on the one shaft 21. Drive connections such as chain drives 28 between the shaft 21 and the stub shafts 25, cause the eccentrics to be rotated. This of course raises and lowers the arms 22, and imparts a short vertical stroke to the various links, with a corresponding vertical agitation of the screens.

From the above described arrangement of parts, it will of course be evident that if the arms 26 are turned up or down about the shaft 21, the

angular setting or slope of the screens will be altered without interfering with the agitating thereof.

To thus turn both arms from one side of the casing, I provide another shaft 29 disposed parallel to shaft 21, and adapted to be rotated by means applied to one end thereof such as a worm gearing 30. Gears 3| fixed with the arms 26 axially of shaft 2'! mesh with pinions 32 secured on shaft 29.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A drier comprising comprising a vertical casing, means to blow air longitudinally through the casing, a plurality of vertically spaced screens in the casing disposed in transversely staggered relation and adapted to successively discharge onto each other from the topmost one down, pivot mounting means for the screens at their opposite ends in alternating order, means applied to the screens to turn them on their pivots to set them at different selected slopes, and means formed in part with said last named means to oscillate the screens about their pivots through an arc of constant length irrespective of the adjusted position of the same.

2. A drier comprising a vertical casing, means to blow air longitudinally through the casing, a plurality of vertically spaced screens in the casing disposed in transversely staggered relation and adapted tosuccessively discharge onto each other from the topmost one down, pivot mounting means for the screens at their opposite ends in alternating order, means applied to one screen to turn it on its pivot whereby to adjust it at a predetermined slope, and substantially vertical links connecting the screens intermediate their ends whereby all the screens will be adjusted with the movement of the one screen.

3. A structure as in claim 2, with means formed in part with said screen turning means to impart an agitating movement to the screens irrespective of the turning of the screens to adjust the same.

4. In a drier, a substantially horizontal screen, a pivot mounting for one end of the screen, means applied to the screen to turn the same on its pivot to adjust the slope thereof, and means formed in part with said screen turning means to oscillate the screen about its pivot through an arc of constant length irrespective of its adjusted position.

5. In a drier, a substantially horizontal screen, a pivot mounting for one end of the screen, a substantially vertical supporting member connected at one end to the screen, a substantially horizontal arm, a strap on the other end of the member, an eccentric turnably mounted on one end of the arm and engaging the strap, a pivot mounting for the opposite end of the arm, means to turn the arm, on its pivot and means to rotate the eccentric irrespective of the turning of the arm.

6. In a drier, a substantially horizontal screen, a pivot mounting for one end of the screen, a substantially vertical supporting member connected at one end to the screen, a substantially horizontal arm, a strap on the other end of the member, an eccentric turnably mounted on one end of the arm and engaging the strap, a driven shaft on which the opposite end of the arm is turnable, a drive connection between the shaft and the eccentric, and separate means to control the turning of the arm.

7. A drier comprising a vertical casing, means to blow air longitudinally through the casing, a plurality of vertically spaced pairs of screens arranged in symmetrical relation in the casing and sloping downwardly to terminations adjacent but spaced from the opposite sides of the casing from their upper adjacent ends, other pairs of screens in the casing disposed intermediate the first named screens, and sloping downwardly from the opposite sides of the casing to terminations spaced from each other, whereby produce fed onto the topmost screens will be discharged from the same at their lower end onto the adjacent screens below adjacent the top thereof, and from said last named screens at the bottom thereof onto the screens immediately below adjacent the top thereof and means to feed produce evenly onto the topmost pair of screens.

8. A structure as in claim '7, with a foraminous bin within the casing into which the lowermost screens deliver.

9. A structure as in claim 7, with vertical bafiles projecting upwardly from the first named pairs of screens at the top thereof to a termination above the adjacent lower edges of the other pairs of screens.

10. A drier comprising a vertical casing, a plurality of vertically spaced screens in the casing disposed in transversely staggered relation and arranged to successively discharge onto each other from the topmost one down, means to feed produce to be dried onto the topmost screen, a foraminous bin in the casing into which the lowermost screen discharges, and means to blow air longitudinally of the casing through the bin and [0 screens.

outlet means from the bottom of the bin including a chute leading through one side of the casmg.

12. In combination, a shaker screen, having a normal initial angle of setting, fixed pivot means supporting the screen, drive means applied to the screen to oscillate the same, and means formed in part with the drive means to alter said normal angle of the screen while the drive means is in operation. GEORGE C. CHAPMAN. 

